SHIELD's Top Agent
by starrysky7
Summary: A series of one-shots that continue on from my other stories in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.


**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to its rightful owners.**

 **This story is one in a series set in the MCU. The other stories, and their chronological order, can be found on my profile.**

* * *

 _"If you have two friends in your lifetime, you're lucky. If you have one good friend, you're more than lucky."  
_

 _S.E. Hinton_

* * *

 **Chapter One**

Since Clara's arrival on the bus, having rushed over as soon as she'd heard of Coulson's kidnapping, ignoring Fury's orders to stay in DC; she'd sat through multiple briefings, but Victoria Hand's team's efforts yielded no results in the search for Coulson.

"The burnt remains recovered at the site are believed to be those of Agent trainee Michael Peterson" said Hand, "Other physical evidence has proven scarce. Nothing related to Mr Po, Centipede, his associates, or his location has been found"

"Any luck with Vanchat?" Asked Ward

"Nothing actual Agent Ward" answered Hand, "But I have my best interrogator in there right now. Vanchat will talk, and rest assured when he does, not a single stone will be left unturned until we take down Centipede"

"And find Agent Coulson" said Simmons

"And get Coulson back" Fitz said in unison

An alarm began to go off, as an alert came up on the screen. "We have a security breach" said Hand, "Someone's hacking the system"

"No shit" Clara muttered under her breath

Hand tore through the plane, towards Skye's cubicle, opening the door, to reveal Skye sitting on her bed with her laptop.

"Just in time" said Skye, lifting up her arm with the bracelet on it, "Can you override this?"

"What do you think you're doing?" demanded Hand

"The money trail's our key to finding Coulson" Skye replied, "I just need to gain access to Vanchat's financials, and from there I should be able to trace Centipede's payment and hack into their account"

"You're the consultant" said Hand, "The one that shot Agent Sitwell"

"Technically that wasn't me" defended Skye

"I want you off this plane, immediately" ordered Hand, turning to walk away

"What?" Asked Ward

"Wait" said Skye, chasing after her, "I know I'm not some badass field agent like May or Ward, but this is what I do, you can't just kick me off this mission"

"Listen" begged Skye, Hand stopping to turn and face her, "I will do whatever you say. All this protocol crap, doesn't matter to me. All that matters to me is Coulson"

"Well all this protocol crap matters to me" countered Hand, "You're a distraction, and you're gone"

"Agent Hand" said Ward, stepping forward, "I know Skye's methods are...unorthodox, but she's a member of this team, she can help"

"Agent May, you're professional opinion" said Hand, "Will this girl be of any use to us on this plane"

"No"

It was a cold thing to say, especially with Skye standing right there. But Clara knew May, she'd known her before Bahrain, and she knew her now. She may be cold, but she was neither cruel nor petty. There was a point to May's actions. Whatever that point may be.

"Increase her restriction level, confiscate her laptop and her phone" Hand told the other agents, "Then have her delivered to debrief"

"I'll do it" offered Ward, "I'm her S.O."

A downtrodden Skye walked off, Ward threw May a glare, before following after Skye.

"You know May" Clara said to her, "Not everyone knows that you're actually nice deep down. People don't always care to look past the exterior"

"You know I don't care for your assessments" said May, glaring at her, though her angry face was the same as her normal one

Clara knew just how little she cared, considering May had refused the counselling Clara offered, and Fury ordered after the incident that earned her the moniker of 'the Calvary'.

"Alright then, business only" she said, "Any theories as to why Coulson taken?"

"No. You?"

"What's the one thing that's happened to Coulson that hasn't happened to others" said Clara, "What makes him different to Mike Peterson? Something that makes him more valuable"

"You think this is about Tahiti" said May

"They wanted Peterson to find a way to stabilize the soldiers" she said, "What if they want to find a way to bring them back"

"Coulson doesn't know" May assured her

"By the end of this, he just might"

* * *

"You know, Skye's skills are an asset you could have utilised" Clara told Hand, "As usual, your strict adherence to the rules is a much a hindrance as it is helpful"

"And how many rules did you have to break just to be here?" Asked Hand, "Fury didn't send you, so why are you here?"

"I'm here to find Coulson"

"One agent can't be worth this much"

"No, one agent may not be worth this much to you" she said, "But my friend is worth much more to me"

"And let me be clear" she continued, taking a step forward, "I'm only here for Coulson. And if I wanted to, I could quite easily take control of this whole operation. So, a piece of friendly advice, stay the hell outta my way"

And with that, Clara stormed off, hoping that she had intimidated Hand enough that she were no longer pose a problem to Clara's priorities. She was there to find Coulson. She was there to find her friend.

Her anger hadn't subsided as she entered the cockpit, where May was at the controls, taking the seat next to her.

"Can you find Coulson?" May asked her

"I've tried, but, I can't get a lock on him" she said, "I haven't been able to, since, well...you know"

"Fury's had you tracking Coulson?"

"No, that was more personal concern" she muttered, "I'm worried about him. About what could happen to him"

"Nothing's happened so far" May assured her

"That isn't very reassuring"

Clara stopped talking, when a disgruntled Ward entered the cockpit. Regardless of clearance levels, the fewer people that knew about Coulson the better. He was safer that way.

"There a problem?" May asked him

"Victoria Hand" he replied, "We don't exactly see eye to eye"

"She doesn't see eye to eye with anyone" said Clara, "It's why she's so tall"

"I'm sure she's utilizing all of SHIELD's resources to find Coulson" May assured them

"Not all of them" grumbled Ward, shaking his head, "You know it wouldn't hurt to have Skye working in exploit" he continued, May's jaw clenching, "Why didn't you stick up for her?"

"Excuse me" said May, raising her eyebrows as she turned to look at Ward

"She has proven herself on multiple missions, she's a part of this team" said Ward, "You let her get tossed"

"All I did was tell Hand the truth" countered May, "Skye's no use to us on this plane"

"How could you say?" Asked Ward

"She's not" said May, "Not with all these agents here. Over her shoulder, monitoring her every move"

"You wanted her off the plane"

"Outside the system. That's how Skye works best" said May, "You don't have to assume the worst of me"

"Agent May" said Hand over the coms, "Change of plans, sending new co-ordinates now. We found their helicopter outside a laboratory in the Mojave Desert"

"Copy that, co-ordinates received" said May, "Hang on to something"

* * *

The team had all gathered around the table in the labs, as Fitz and Simmons demonstrated their laters gadget.

"The Centipede soldiers each have a port on their delivery device to inject refills of serum" explained Simmons

"But with this injector cuff" said Fitz, holding it up to show them, "We can use the port to our advantage"

"By injecting a fine dose of dendratoxin to incapacitate the soldier" said Simmons

"How's it work?" Asked Ward

"Just simply lock it around the Centipede soldiers forearm" said Simmons, demonstrating this by putting it around Wards arm

"And night night super powers" said Fitz

"Sounds like riding a bull for eight seconds" said Ward

"Yeah, exactly, it's that simple" said Fitz

Suddenly, Simmons phone began to rang, startled, she pulled it from her pocket and answered it.

"Hello" said Simmons, "Why hello...Dr Newgent"

Clara raised her eyebrows at Simmons attempts at lying. She was definitely a scientist, not a spy.

"Manscaping, oh, I shouldn't have said that" said Simmons, and Clara chuckled, "I'm as right as rain, couldn't be better old chap"

"Hey, you three" said Clara, turning to the other scientists, "Could you give us a moment, Simmons here has had a minor brain malfunction and we need to repair her"

The scientist looked at her sceptically, but quickly scurried out of the room when she raised her eyebrows and widened her eyes. It was times like this that she was grateful for her reputation.

May left Clara's side, walking over to Simmons, plucking the phone from her hands, "Skye" she said, "What have you found?"

After Skye had relayed all that she had found during her own escapades, both Ward and May agreed that they had to bring this information to Agent Hand. Clara protested to this, her own opinion being that Hand would only prove herself to be an obstacle, but maintains protocol won out, and they were now in the hangar divulging their plans.

"We're about to launch a major assault on a Centipede lab" said Hand, "And you want to take your team into the desert based on a hunch from Skye"

"It's not a hunch" said Ward, causing Hand to stop and turn towards them

"Skye followed the money from Vanchat back to Centipede" explained Fitz

"Turns out they recently purchased a small development less then a hundred miles from" said Simmons

"Well, that's great news for their real estate portfolio" said Hand, "But we have confimred activity at the lab, I'm taking a Strike team there. End of story"

"I think you greatly overestimate the amount of help we need from you" said Clara, "A split seems the most logistical decision"

"You take a Strike team to the lab, and we'll investigate Skye's lead" said May, "See if it leads to Coulson"

"You backed my decision to send Skye of the plane" said Hand

"Seems to have panned out" said May

"Seems like you played me"

"Look, this isn't personal" said Ward, "But I am taking my team and we're going to find Coulson. You can send backup if you want"

"Backup" said Clara, following behind Ward, as they left the hangar, "I'm all the backup you'll need"

* * *

The team were now in the car, travelling through the desert, towards what looked like a deserted town. Suddenly, Skye raced past them, a man following behind them. But the man was soon dealt with, having been knocked unconscious by the impact of the car on his body.

"Skye, we haven't formally been introduced" Clara said, stepping out of the car and towards the young agent, "I'm Clara"

"I'm Skye" the girl replied, "But you already know that. I'm sorry. It's just, really cool to actually meet an avenger"

"Skye, Coulson" May reminded her, as Clara grinned

"Right. Coulson's gotta be here somewhere" said Skye, "We need to split up"

"Or run" said Simmons, they all turned to see a Centipede soldier approaching

"I'll take care of him" said Ward, pulling out the injector cuff

"Are you sure?" Asked May

"I've got this" Ward assured them

"Scream really loudly if you need help. Or are about to die. Or are dying" Clara called out as he ran towards the soldier

"Let's go" said May

They all split up, each checking out one of the houses. The house that Clara chose just happened to have people in it. As a man burst out of the door of the house, Clara stepped up onto the railing, grabbing onto the frame to swing around, kicking the man unconscious. She landed on the ground next to him, throwing out her hand, to send the other man flying.

"Oops" she muttered, when she saw that she had sent the man threw the wall of the house, but her head snapped around, at the sound of Coulson's screams

Clara ran into the house after May and Skye, stopping dead in her tracks when she saw Coulson, lying on the table, screaming out in what could only be described as terror, begging to die. She had assumed there were certain things Fury had kept from her about Coulson's resurrection. But this. What could they have possibly done to him that had him begging for death.

The noise stopped, May had pulled the cord from it's socket, and was now helping Coulson up to his feet.

"Clara" he said, noticing her standing in front of him

"Coulson, oh God" she said, rushing forward, laying his arm around her shoulder, supporting him as they walked out of the house

* * *

"I heard you ignored a direct order from Fury to come and find me" Coulson said, as she stood in the hangar, waiting for her transport to arrive to take her back to DC, "Should I be flattered"

"Very much so" she replied, smiling at him, "I'm glad you're okay. You're okay, right?"

"I'm okay" he assured her, "And what about you? You and Steve finally together?"

"Seriously, you too" she said, exasperated, "Between you, and Tony, my kids, even Natasha and Fury are in on the shipping"

"I'll take that as a no" he teased, "If you don't mind me asking, why aren't you together yet? I mean, you're kinda perfect for each other"

"I guess we're not so perfect after all" she said, "He, doesn't trust me, not anymore. And, I've tried, to help him cope, with adjusting. But, he's always second guessing me. He thinks everything I do is on Fury's orders"

"Is everything on Fury's orders?"

"No" she said defensively, crossing her arms, "I wouldn't do that to Steve. I would never, betray, or manipulate, or use him in any way. I don't do that to friends, and especially not to, whatever the hell me and Steve are"

"Just, show him that" he told her, "You'll work it out"

"Thanks for the confidence" she said, "I wish I could stay, but I've gotta get back to DC. Give my best to the team"

"I'd say give my best to Steve, but clearance levels"

"Yeah, yeah, more secrets" she said, playfully rolling her eyes, "If you need me, for anything, just give me a call"

"I'll keep that in mind"


End file.
